by Cathy P. Ross

Mar 28, 2013

07:27 AM

The Barefoot Contessa Visits The Bushnell

“Hi, Ina, I tried your recipe for guacamole last night, and my guests loved it!” If you’re a fan of Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa,” you know why Ina Garten’s friends drop by so often—Ina never lets them down. The sage advice she imparts from her kitchen on everything from preparing an easy dinner party to effortlessly putting together a formal picnic for 12 on the beach, guarantees stellar results. Her dishes (top-quality ingredients only) are simply executed, with time to set a beautiful table and dress before guests arrive. And when it’s all ready, she exclaims, “How easy is that?”

Through her Emmy Award-winning show, eight best-selling cookbooks and magazine columns—in Martha Stewart Living, O and House Beautiful—Garten (raised in Stamford), has firmly established herself as the go-to source for stress-free entertaining.

But she didn’t always cook. In fact, when she lived in Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, she worked at the Office of Management and Budget at the White House. In 1978, Garten made a bold career change by purchasing a specialty food shop called the Barefoot Contessa in the Hamptons—and her career took off. She no longer runs the shop but still resides in East Hampton with her husband, Jeffrey.

Jeffrey, a retired dean from Yale University, is often home on weekends only, but appears frequently on the show. The adoring couple is beloved by fans who eat it up when Garten whips up roast chicken and some of Jeffrey’s other favorite treats in preparation for his arrival.

Garten sits down with Prudence Sloan at The Bushnell on March 28. A Q&A with the audience followed a book signing.

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Curious about Connecticut? So is associate editor Cathy Ross, who enjoys everything our state has to offer, from art galleries and museum exhibitions to fine restaurants and great shops. Explore it all right here with her!